


The Lost Squid

by angelofbenignmalevolence



Series: Tumblr Writing Prompt Challenges [2]
Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Gen, Gordon Tracy/Lady Penelope if you squint, TAG Secret Santa 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:55:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28346499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelofbenignmalevolence/pseuds/angelofbenignmalevolence
Summary: Tracy Island has a situation! There is a missing stuffed cuddly squid. Gordon Tracy is on the hunt for a squidnapper!
Series: Tumblr Writing Prompt Challenges [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1828801
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14





	The Lost Squid

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the TAG Secret Santa 2020 Exchange for @psychoseal. My prompt was "Gordon + The Lost Cuddly Squid"

“Alright, which one of you chuckleheads is responsible?”

The whole room seemed to freeze in place at the obvious vitriol in the statement. Virgil’s paintbrush paused mid stroke as he leaned around the canvas. Scott looked up from where he was seated behind their father’s desk. Alan looked at him from where he was laying upside down with his feet over the back of the couch, the sound of a game over emitting from the small system in his hands as he pushed the VR headset up off his eyes.

“Responsible for what, Gordo?” Virgil asked. Gordon frowned, his hands on his hips.

“You know perfectly well what!” Gordon said.

“No Gordon, we don’t,” Scott said, giving his younger brother a confused glance. Gordon took in an annoyed breath.

“Which one of you took Squidge?” He demanded. Virgil exchanged a confused look with Alan.

“Squidge?” he asked.

“My squid!” Gordon said. Virgil looked at Scott. _Since when had Gordon gotten a live squid?_

“He used to call him ‘Squiddy’ before he got big enough to give him a real name,” Scott reminded Virgil. A look of recognition crossed his face. The stuffed squid that Lucille had given Gordon on a trip to the aquarium when the boys were young. Gordon had taken to keeping the stuffed animal in Thunderbird 4, ostensibly for when he rescued children who were nervous and needed some kind of comfort.

“Guys, focus!” Gordon said, trying to bring his brothers’ attention back to the matter at hand. “Squidge is missing!”

“Are you sure that a kid didn’t just walk off with him after a rescue?” Alan asked helpfully.

“I’m sure that I got him back from the last rescue,” Gordon said. “Virgil and I stopped for coffee because it was so stupidly cold after that rescue. I have a picture of Squidge next to my coffee cup.”

“Oh yeah!” Virgil said. That rescue was coming back to him now. “You threw him in the wash when he got coffee on him after a little turbulence.”

“Ok, that was more than ‘a little turbulence,’ but that’s not the point,” Gordon said folding his arms. “The point is that Squidge is missing and one of you took him!”

“No we didn’t, Gordon!” Alan said.

“You must have just misplaced him,” Scott said, trying to defuse the situation. Gordon sent a glare at his eldest brother, as if the very suggestion offended their ancestors. Virgil shook his head.

“At the risk of asking the obvious, have you checked the washer?” Virgil asked. Gordon turned his scowl on the second eldest.

“Of course I did! That was the first place I looked,” Gordon said with an indignant huff. “Honestly, I didn’t want to believe that I was living in a den of thieves!”

“Don’t be so dramatic, Gordon,” Scott said. “Did you look through all the compartments on Thunderbird Four. He might have gotten lost amidst all the canned cheese and other assorted snacks you have stashed away in there.” Gordon’s scowl turned more into a pout.

“Har, Scott,” he said. “Yes, I cleaned out all the compartments. He’s not in there!”

“But I’ll bet Four has never looked cleaner,” Alan said. Gordon picked up a pillow from the couch and threw it at Alan, who awkwardly deflected it and nearly overbalanced himself on the couch. Virgil rolled his eyes.

“Did you check the linen closet? He might have gotten swept up in some of the sheets from when we last did laundry,” Virgil supplied.

“Tried there. I didn’t find him.”

“Laundry hamper?”

“No sign of him.”

“Have you tried under your bed?”

“Nope, he’s not there either.”

“Did you check in Thunderbird Two?” Scott asked. This time it was Virgil’s turn to scowl.

“You are not ripping apart Two to find your squid,” Virgil protested before Gordon could answer. “I just took stock and got her all ready for her next call out. He’s not there. That’s a fact.”

“Have you asked grandma?” Alan asked. “She always seems to know where everything is.”

“And risk breaking her heart when she finds out that at least one of her grandsons is a squidnapper?” Scott rubbed his temples he opened his mouth to say something when Lady Penelope’s portrait made a soft _ping_.

“Hold that thought, Gordon,” Scott said, activating the holoprojector. Lady Penelope’s hologram winked into being in the center of the room. Gordon smoothed down his shirt as Lady Penelope smiled.

“Good afternoon,” she said, looking around at all of the boys gathered in the living room. Usually such gatherings meant either the beginnings of a callout for International Rescue or some kind of family meeting. “I certainly hope that I haven’t interrupted anything important.”

“No, no,” Scott replied. “We were just having a…brotherly chat. What can we do for you Lady Penelope?” She pushed the hair back off her shoulder.

“I’m afraid that I must report to you that my efforts in converting over many of the leftover oil rigs in the Atlantic to clean solar energy may have inadvertently caused a situation,” She said. She made a motion and a small screen appeared next to her on her holoprojection. The footage shown was of an oil well that had been capped but had begun to leak oil. “While this is by no means an emergency situation, a crew cannot get out to cap it for longer than I truly feel comfortable with. I was wondering if I might impose on our friendship to have Gordon come out to take a look at it?”

“I’d be happy to,” Gordon said, all thought of the lost squid forgotten, at least for the moment. Virgil set down his paint palette and got to his feet.

“I’ll go get Thunderbird Two ready for transport. I’ll meet you down in the hangar, Gordon.”

“F.A.B.” Gordon gave Lady Penelope a smile. “Don’t you worry, Lady Penelope. I’ll take care of that leaking oil.” Gordon headed straight for his chute, pressing his hand against the aquarium glass and beginning his descent. The case of the missing squid would have to wait until he returned.

* * *

Gordon came out of the shower unit in two, having rinsed off the oil that had been clinging to his suit. Once he and Virgil had told Lady Penelope of their success in capping the leaking oil well, Lady Penelope had insisted on their presence for afternoon tea to thank them both for the favor. Virgil happily accepted and Gordon normally would have jumped at the chance but he was starting to worry that he still hadn’t found his little cuddly squid. Virgil landed Thunderbird Two in the courtyard of Penelope’s manor. She met them at the door.

“Virgil, Gordon,” she greeted warmly.

“Lady Penelope,” Virgil said in return. “Gordon was able to cap the well. You shouldn’t be having any more trouble with it. Lady Penelope smiled.

“Thank you so much for your efforts. I very much appreciate you allowing me to abuse our friendship like this,” Lady Penelope said.

“Oh it was no trouble at all,” Gordon said.

“Are you sure? You look a little troubled,” Penelope said.

“I…oh…it’s…it’s nothing…”

“One of the things Gordon got from mom went missing a little earlier,” Virgil explained. “We were trying to help him find it when you called.”

“Oh no,” Lady Penelope said understandingly. “I’m so sorry to hear that. Is there anything I can do?”

“No no, it’s just…I’m afraid I might have left it at a rescue site somewhere. We couldn’t find it anywhere at home.

“Oh dear…” Gordon sank onto the couch, putting his elbows on his knees as Parker brought in a tray of tea and sweets. Sherbet looked up from where he laying in the sun streaming through one of the windows. His little tail wagged slightly at the company, but stopped wagging when he saw how sad Gordon looked. He didn’t like it when Lady Penelope’s Tracy friends were sad. Sherbet decided to do something about it.

He moved over to his bed and rooted around for a toy he had buried in there for safe keeping. His little teeth grabbed the plush toy and dragged it across the floor, bumping into Gordon’s leg. Gordon looked up.

“Hey little buddy. What do you have – Squidge!” His eyes went wide with surprise and delight. Sherbet wagged his tail as Gordon lifted the pup triumphantly in the air, spinning him around. Yes, Sherbet had done something right. Nothing left but smiles now.


End file.
